Process for accelerating the hardening of shaped casein articles



Patented Feb. 26, 1935 PROCESS FOR AOCELERATING THE HARD- ENING F SHAPED CASEIN ARTICLES Henri Dumont, Hamburg, Germany, assignor to the firm Internationale GaIalith-Gesellschaft Hoff & 00., Harburg-Wilhelmsburg (Elbe),

Germany No Drawing. Application June 29, 1931, Serial In Germany September 8, 1930 2 Claims. (Cl. 106-88) There are many publications regarding the manufacture of artificial horn from casein or material rich in casein. The only well known process which has been generally adopted in the 5 art and has proved to be the only satisfactory process resides in the fact that slightly moistened casein or material rich in casein is kneaded under high pressure in the heat to a plastic and substantially firm mass which is worked directly into bars, plates and shaped articles. The hardening of the thus obtained shaped articles is eflected immediately by treating the articles in the formaldehyde bath. The formaldehyde solution of the hardening bath is used in diilferent strengths, partly in a concentrated solution and partly in a diluted solution. The diluted solution of about formaldehyde has proved to be satisfactory. The drawback of the hardening of these shaped articles resides merely in the fact that the 20 osmotic process of the penetration of the formaldehyde solution in the shaped articles of casein takes place very slowly.

The present invention has for its object to shorten the period or duration of the hardening as process. In order to attain this object, the hardening takes place in the presence of and by the cooperation of electrolytes which accelerate the osmotic process of the penetration of the formaldehyde solution in the shaped articles of 30 casein. The result obtained is a shortening of the hardening process to about one half of the time usually required for that purpose. It is obvious that only such electrolytes are concerned whose solution does not aflect the artificial horn to be made from the casein mass. No solvents for casein mass come into consideration except salts which merely by their presence shorten the osmotic process. The procedure may be such that first o! the electrolytes and then the harde ent are allowed to act on the masses or the shaped articles made from the same.

The electrolytes or their solution may also be mixed with the casein or other protein substances or with the protein-rich material serving as starting material when making the mass, and thislatter, or the shaped articles made from it, are then hardened. The procedure may also be such that both the electrolytes as welPas'the hardening agents which split off formaldehyde are added simultaneously to the starting material when making the mass.

As electrolytes for the process the salts of the 5 alkalies, including ammonium salts, come particularly into consideration; the experiments carried out showed that in general of the salts of the various acids the chlorides of the alkalies, including ammonium act best as accelerators for the thorough hardening of the masses and shaped articles. The acceleration of the thorough 1 hardening may also be promoted by adding catalytically acting substances to the electrolytes as well; small quantities of acids or small quantities of alkalies have shown themselves to be effective as catalysts. The masses are made as a rule with employment of water; the water, however, may also be replaced up to a limited quantity by other liquids, e. g. by acetone, diluted spirit and the like, in the manner known per se. The electrolytes are added in varying quantities to the starting material, according to the quality of the same, when making the mass. The new process may be carried out under ordinary pressure, under diminished pressure and under raised pressure. In general, however, the lowering or raising of the pressure has not proved to be particularly advantageous as compared with operating under ordinary pressure. The thorough saturation is in many cases advantageously accelerated by employment of heat in the thorough hardening of the masses and of the shaped articles made from the same.

I claim:

1. A process for accelerating the thorough hardening of shaped articles made from casein, which consists in saturating said articles with ammonium chloride and subsequently with formaldehye and by emplyoment of heat.

A process for accelerating the hardening of sha d articles made of casein, which consists in first saturating said articles with chlorides oi alkalies and then with formaldehyde to thereby thoroughly harden the articles.

HENRI DUMON'I. 

